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Belgium
Race17h 28m
Red Bull used Isack Hadjar to give Max Verstappen a tow in Q3 at Spa after Hadjar was set to start from the back due to multiple power unit component changes, and both drivers said the plan helped. Verstappen, who qualified second, said: “It was definitely helping me otherwise I would not be standing here,” adding Hadjar “did a really good job giving me a tow in the final sector”. Hadjar, who did not set a Q3 lap because he was assisting, said it was “definitely the right thing to do”.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton say Ferrari can fight for a podium at the Belgian Grand Prix, with the pair set to start fourth and fifth. Leclerc lost time lifting for a late yellow flag and admitted it will be “tricky”, adding: “We know what we have a slight disadvantage on a track like this… and hopefully a podium is possible.” Hamilton qualified behind him after his mechanics repaired significant FP3 crash damage, saying: “Still optimistic for tomorrow… to try and see if we can get on the podium.”
Carlos Sainz says Formula 1 should review its new regulations because qualifying laps under the current rules are “not good enough”. Sainz said: "We all know it's not good enough. It needs to change. It will change. It will evolve... Whoever saw these simulations in 2022-2023 and looked at it and 'how can we even accept that?' He needs to review what happened there because it should have never happened."
Esteban Ocon said only team-mate Oliver Bearman’s Haas is “working as it should” after he was knocked out in Q1 at the Belgian Grand Prix, pointing to a straight-line speed deficit and rear instability on his VF-26. Ocon said: "We're losing more than five tenths on the straights, so inevitably, with this issue we haven't been able to sort out since the start of the weekend, it's tricky. I'm losing those 3–4 km/h compared to where we should be… Only Ollie's car works as it should, so that's just how it is."
Lando Norris said his Belgian Grand Prix qualifying run at Spa-Francorchamps was “one of the best laps I’ve ever done”, but he will start 13th after a 10-place grid penalty for taking a new power electronics unit. Norris said: "Very good actually – pretty surprised to be P3. My lap was a pretty mega lap. It was probably one of the best laps I've ever done in Qualifying so I'm pretty happy with today. It's just a shame I start P13 tomorrow. P3 was certainly the best we could achieve."
Oscar Piastri says his Belgian Grand Prix qualifying struggles were down to a “very difficult” McLaren to drive rather than the track time he lost on Friday because of a hydraulic leak. Piastri said: "It's never ideal. I still got a reasonable amount of qualifying laps or low fuel laps yesterday. Would I have liked a couple more? Yes - but I think the struggles I've had today have not been related to that. It's just been a very difficult car to drive, and very, very tough. If you can balance it on the edge, then the lap time seems to be there. But balancing it on the edge is pretty tough."
Charles Leclerc said a yellow flag that was meant for the pit entry was too visible from the track in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps, forcing him to lift and likely costing him a place on the grid. Leclerc said: "I'm a bit disappointed for that last lap because there was a yellow flag that was supposed to be for the pit entry, but that was too visible, in my opinion, being on track. It was very much in the middle and that probably cost me one position."
George Russell says it is currently "impossible" to challenge Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli while he is dealing with a straight-line speed issue that has persisted since Silverstone. Russell said: "It's super frustrating, you know. Battling against Kimi at the best of times is very tough in a fair fight. When we're in this situation, it's impossible. You're losing all the lap time in the straights, the team are working so hard to try and pinpoint what it is, because it can be a million things."
Toto Wolff says George Russell's qualifying deficit to Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli for the Belgian Grand Prix was partly down to an unexplained lack of straight-line speed and was “probably not his fault”. Wolff said: "George is obviously suffering from a lack of straight-line speed we are unable to explain – a couple of tenths. So overall, he's recovered well but at the moment he doesn't gel with the car. He hasn't for the last two weekends and that's probably not his fault, we just need to bring it together."
Max Verstappen says the 2026 Formula 1 cars are running at power levels comparable to Formula 3 for much of sector two at Spa. Verstappen said: "For most of sector two, you run just on the engine. So, what is that? 450bhp, 500bhp? Something like that, which is, I guess, less or more or less what a Formula 3 car has but with F1 downforce. So, you can imagine, of course, that that is not very exciting to drive."
Kimi Antonelli said Mercedes’ “little package” for the Belgian Grand Prix helped the W17 on the straights after he took pole position at Spa-Francorchamps. Antonelli said: "Well, we brought a little package that helped us a little bit, even more on the straights. But Sector 2, the car still felt good and especially in Q3, we did minor changes on settings and it helped me to gain confidence to push even more. So yeah, it was good that we were stronger in all the sectors."
George Russell said Mercedes is dealing with a “serious issue” that is costing him straight-line speed, after the problem affected his lap times for a second consecutive race weekend in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying. Russell said: "We saw this from Silverstone. We thought we found the problem. We thought it was simply the brakes. It wasn't the brakes. Then, we thought it was my driving style with the throttle and I convinced myself that it was something in me with the driving style. Now we're very confident it's not the driving style and that there's a serious issue at play here. The team are working so hard to resolve it."
Lewis Hamilton said his Ferrari did not feel the same in qualifying after his late crash in final practice, suggesting something had changed on the rear suspension as the team rushed to repair the car in time for the session. Hamilton said: "Something wasn't the same on the rear suspension, so the balance wasn't the same basically as the FP3, when the car was feeling really great. They pushed right until the last minute to get the thing fixed, I'm grateful they did. I hope the balance is still okay in the race."
Lando Norris said it was "unfortunate" to lose a top-three starting position for the Belgian Grand Prix after taking engine components outside the season allowance, which leaves him with a 10-place grid penalty and 13th on the grid. Norris said: "It's nice to be standing here, just not nice knowing we have to go 10 places back tomorrow. Unfortunate that this isn't where we're starting tomorrow, because it would be nice to have a little fight with these guys. But we made the most of it, it was still a very good qualifying, a very good lap for me."
Kimi Antonelli says getting a good start in the Belgian Grand Prix will be crucial with Max Verstappen alongside him on the front row after the Italian took pole at Spa-Francorchamps. Antonelli said: "It's great to be on pole. It was not a very straightforward session, the track changed a lot. But we were able to improve lap by lap and to bring home pole, which was nice. But tomorrow is another day and obviously I have Max starting next to me so it's going to be important to get a good start and then be ahead into Turn Five."
Max Verstappen said Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar’s tow in Q3 was key to him qualifying second for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, with Hadjar set to take a grid penalty. Verstappen said: "It was definitely helping me. Otherwise, I would not be standing here, like P6 or something. Isack today, knowing he had to start at the back of the grid, he did a really good job giving me a tow in the final sector, and that's why we are standing right here."
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli takes pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix, leaving team-mate George Russell trailing in fourth.
⚪️ Kimi Antonelli: "It's great to be on pole. It was not a very straightforward session, the track changed a lot. But we were able to improve lap by lap and to bring home pole, which was nice. But tomorrow is another day and obviously I have Max starting next to me so it's going to be important to get a good start and then be ahead into Turn Five. The last lap was good. I improved a lot in sector two especially so it was a nice lap. Of course there was still a little bit there and there. But happy with that." 🔵 Max Verstappen: “I think Isack today, knowing that has to start at the back of the grid, he did a really good job giving me a tow in the final sector, and that's why we’re standing right here. For sure, tomorrow I think I’ll be looking in my mirrors at the people around me, but at least today we had a really good result. I think the car has been quite decent the whole weekend, not on the level maybe that Kimi was doing. But we’re happy to be on the front row with how we executed as a team. “It’s always tough around here with the tyres and the long runs. I’ll just do my best and see if we can hang in there or not.” 🟠 Lando Norris: "We've not really changed anything but we're a bit quicker on this track. It's nice to be standing here just not nice knowing I have to go 10 places back tomorrow. Unfortunate that this isn't genuinely where we are starting tomorrow because it would be nice to have a little bit of a fight with these guys but we made the most of it. "It was still a very good qualifying, a very good lap for me. Honestly, I've been pretty happy all weekend. It's a little bit of a home race for me, so always a bit of a boost and I've performed well all weekend so far. So hopefully we can still have a good race tomorrow and have some fun."
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